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The Chrysler Imperial nameplate was a mainstay in the Chrysler lineup for many years, until it became its own separate luxury sub-brand in 1955. The name was then revived in 1990 for a Y-platform based full-size sedan that served as its top-of-the-line model, undercut by the smaller New Yorker Fifth Avenue and New Yorker.

The last-ever Chrysler to wear the Imperial name was discontinued in 1993 after a short three-year run and replaced by the much more modern Chrysler LHS in 1994. The LHS represented a more European approach to luxury, however, while the Imperial was a traditional American luxury car with floaty suspension, sluggish acceleration and loose steering.

As you’ll see in the MotorWeek review of the 1990 Imperial above, the car’s somewhat barbaric engineering forced reviewers to rate the car lower than the Japanese and European competition at the time. It didn’t have the poise, speed or refinement to match foreign luxury machines, but it also significantly undercut them in price.

So don your neon windbreaker, break out some Surge soda and see how MotorWeek rated the Chrysler Imperial back in 1990 in the video above.